Does 'turn off (a person)' always have a sexual connotation?

I want to say something like "I hope saying xyz will not turn the interviewer off (from hiring me)" or "I don't want to turn off your interest in the project" but I am unsure if it is an awkward way to use "turn off" as I have only heard it in a sexual context. If yes, what would be a generally applicable term equivalent to it that can be used in the context I am in?

Thanks

Solution 1:

I think the sentences I hope saying xyz will not turn the interviewer off (from hiring me) and I don't want to turn off your interest in the project are unacceptable in a serious business context. Try these two:

I hope saying xyz will not prejudice the interviewer against me.

and

I don't want to dampen your interest in the project.

There are many other ways of saying these things. Using ambiguous clichés is usually a bad idea unless you're doing it for a specific reason and are willing to accept the consequences of the inevitable misunderstandings they will generate.

Solution 2:

In the US, at least on the East Coast, the phrase turn off to mean to cause someone to lose interest, or more strongly, to repel, does not necessarily have a sexual connotation. Your uses strike me as perfectly harmless.

I don't anticipate using turn off causing hilarity in a formal setting, though it could leave room for hijinks in a lighter atmosphere.

The word does have a possible sexual use that is absent from put off. So if you are in doubt about how it will be received, that might be a better expression.

Solution 3:

The fact is that one of the meanings of turn off is sexual. The question is whether your audience will understand it as such.

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. That's the problem of ambiguity. You are not responsible for their misunderstanding, however you should be responsible if they don't understand what you say.

What you should do:

If the audience you're targeting isn't much important to you, keep it as is and let them laugh or get upset for whatever you said. After all, what they understand isn't what you said!

If the audience is important to you and you need them to know exactly what you're saying without leaving any room for fun, re-word your sentence!